Saturday, May 14, 2011
Elizabeth Ballroom E-F and Lirenta Foyer Level 2 (Manchester Grand Hyatt)
9:00 AM
J. M. Montgomery1 and A. McCrimmon2, (1)Psychology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, (2)University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
Background: Social interaction is frequently cited as a core deficit of individuals with Asperger disorder. This deficit is particularly evident when the processing of emotional information is required in social situations (Grossman et al., 2000). Deficits in theory of mind (ToM) and executive functions (EF) are the two primary hypotheses for social deficits in AS that dominate the literature, however, each of these explanations has limitations. Emotional intelligence (EI) has emerged as a relatively new explanation for social difficulties in typically developing individuals. Recent research (Montgomery, McCrimmon, Schwean, Saklofske, 2010) has demonstrated that EI predicted important social outcomes for a group of individuals with Asperger disorder.
Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to explore EI as an alternative or additive explanation for the social deficits of individuals with AS in light of the predominant theories accounting for social difficulties.
Methods: 25 participants aged 16-21, screened for Asperger disorder, completed measures of two forms of EI (trait and ability), various subtests of executive functions, and a theory of mind test.
Results: Multiple regression procedures revealed that together ToM and trait EI predicted 33 % of the variance for self-reported Social Stress.
Conclusions: The findings suggest that ToM and EI are important predictors of social outcomes in Asperger Disorder and information generated by measures of these constructs may be useful to inform interventions.
